Mark Phillips
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Sometimes it's not very easy being human, especially in the pressurised, instantly connected world we now live in. Do you feel exhausted, stressed or that you just don't fit in? It's hardly surprising. We are now overwhelmed by information, targets, responsibilities and expectations. The modern world we have created is sometimes a place we don't belong in...counselling may help.
I am a BACP registered, Relate trained counsellor, with seven years of experience. I have worked with both individuals and couples.
The age range of the clients I see is anywhere between 25 and 65 years of age. I've worked with a variety of ethnicities and cultures and with both straight and gay sexual orientations. I have a lot of experience and some of the areas I can help with:
- depression
- anxiety
- bereavement
- relationship issues
- couple conflict / arguments
- communication difficulties
- family issues.
If you decide to see me?
If you were to come into counselling with me, I'd conduct an initial session half price to see what issues are being presented. If we decide we can work together, we would then meet regularly, at the same time and on the same day each week.
I would approach your situation looking at two broad aspects:
- 'The Big Outside', which concerns relationships in the present, your culture and beliefs and how these support or frustrate your life.
- 'The Big Inside' which refers to the past, your upbringing and relationships with parents and siblings, which then helped to shape you.
How does this work?
A counselling room is a calm, neutral setting where you can be yourself; you won't be criticised, you won't be judged. A counsellor will accept you as you are, and will allow you to express yourself in perhaps a way you haven't been able to before.
Your counsellor will listen, understand and then reflect that understanding back to you. It is then that you may see your situation differently and begin to explore the possibilities before you.
How long?
Therapy can be short term lasting for 6 to 8 weeks to long term lasting for 3 or 4 months. I work at the your pace - you can decide when you've reached your outcome, and you know when it's time to end.
Why come to Counselling?
Counselling can offer you the time and space to reflect on your situation and perhaps see it differently.
Counselling can support you through particularly painful or challenging periods of your life. It can allow you to discuss options that you previously wouldn't have considered. You may even decide to try one or two of them out...and get positive results.
Counselling can allow you to change yourself and in so doing your relationships and life... perhaps for the better. The person that would know this would be you.
The impetus to come into counselling is often because people are distressed, can't cope or don't feel they fit in. However, what keeps them returning to counselling is the rewards of the process itself. The experience of being actively listened to, of understanding one's life differently and the ability to explore and adopt new ways of being. It can lead to change. People are often frightened of change but once they've embraced it rarely, look back.
Training, qualifications & experience
Advanced Diploma in Couple Counselling - Relate institute.
MA in Relationship Therapy - Relate Institute.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred).
Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision.
Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training.
All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
Additional information
I offer a half price initial session.
Following on from this, I charge:
£50 per couple.
£40 per individual.
When I work
Please contact me to arrange a suitable time.
